I was at a best friend’s house hanging out, excited that I was going to have a new nephew soon. My first nephew.

It was a bright sunshiny day and I was getting ready to leave my friend’s house and go home. As I exited the trailer, I tripped down the few steps and fell to the ground. I automatically felt pain in my foot but I was hoping it was just a sprain or twisted ankle. My friend’s dad tried to help me up and as I stood and put weight on my right foot, it popped and I fell back down. I could clearly tell something was broken at that point. A few minutes later, the clouds rolled in and it started pouring down. There had been no rain whatsoever in the forecast, but it was still raining. My parents were called and I had to basically crawl up into the car so my mom could take me to get X-rays.

It was then I found out my new nephew had been born. I was so happy and I couldn’t wait to see him. Me and my mom had planned to travel to Austin after the birth to see him, but if my foot was broken, that would now be out of the question. The X-rays showed a broken fibula and detached deltoid ligament. All that for just a fall from a few steps. The doctor said usually only athletes have the ligament issue…apparently, clumsy people get athletic injuries,too.

Surgery was scheduled for a couple of days later. Without it, I would heal, but the next time I fell, even a small fall, my bone would end up breaking again. This would be my second surgery ever….my first one had been a few months before. A tonsillectomy. Guess this was the year of surgeries for me.

My surgery went well and a cast was put on my foot all the way up to almost my knee. I was given 3 months to recuperate and then I would have to do rehab. Not fun at all. Most of all, I was incredibly sad that I would have to wait to see my new nephew. It broke my heart.

I saw him for the first time that October when my sister came in with her hubby and kids for a family reunion. I was so excited to see him and get to hold him. He was so tiny and perfect. He had the most adorable heart breaker smile on his face already.

It took over 3 months for my foot to heal and I will always have scars to remember that fall. My stitch marks still haven’t gone away and it used to bother me. Now I don’t mind, my scars are a part of me.

I still fear going up and down stairs that have no railings. The thought is always there in the back of my mind, that I could fall again and break something. I’m resigned to the idea I may never be as comfortable with stairs as I once was.

I always thought it was strange how I fell the same day as my nephew was born, but now I think it’s pretty cool how something so horrible could happen to me and then at the same time, something so miraculous and wonderful comes to make me feel better. Yea, I had to wait a little longer to see him but I am glad there’s some GOOD that happened on August 21st…instead of just the bad.

Happy 8th Birthday to my nephew! I love you always!

I also want to say Happy Birthday to my blogging friend Dayle, whose birthday is also on this day! 🙂

My nephew started talking very soon and one of the funniest things he would do if his sisters picked on him was say, “I tell Daddy!” It was so cute! He also would sing gibberish while riding in the car and sometimes he would end up singing himself to sleep! But the most adorable thing I will always remember is on my 23rd birthday when Hurricane Rita came through and I was stuck at home with no electricity. The roads were all crowded with people that had evacuated from Houston and other parts and had run out of gas. It was turning out to be the worst birthday ever. But then….my sister called to wish me Happy Birthday and put my nephew on the phone. As soon as he uttered the words, “Happy Bird day”, it cheered me up more than any present ever could. Just two little words and even a dark house couldn’t hold back the light of joy I felt.

“He couldn’t see why people made such a fuss about people eating their silly old fruit anyway, but life would be a lot less fun if they didn’t. And there was never an apple, in Adam’s opinion, that wasn’t worth the trouble you got into for eating it.” ~from Good Omens